


Busted

by mcschnuggles



Series: Busted [1]
Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Caregiver!L, Gen, Littles are Known AU, Non-Sexual Age Play, Not Canon Compliant, Regressing!Light
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 13:38:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19377805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcschnuggles/pseuds/mcschnuggles
Summary: In the past week, L has discovered two things: one, that Light is Kira and two, that Light is an unregistered little.





	Busted

**Author's Note:**

> My first attempt at a Littles are Known AU! I hope you like it!

            The Kira task force enters their headquarters at 8:32 a.m., as per L’s request.

            Why he called an emergency meeting, none of them know.

            When they enter the sitting room, Light and L sit in opposite chairs, and though L looks calm, Light can’t conceal his scowl.

            “Gentlemen, might I introduce you to Kira.” L says it so matter-of-factly, so casually, just how he’d dropped his revalations on Light not thirty minutes ago.

            Light came up, thinking they’d be discussing the Kira case, instead, L turns to him and concludes, “You are a little, and you are Kira.”

            Soichiro Yagami freezes at the sound of that, unable to react, even as the task force around him draw their guns.

            Light fights back the need to flinch, for his pride’s sake, to prove a point to both L and himself. He may be a little, but there’s no way he’s going to start acting like it. He’s kept it under wraps for ten years, and that’s exactly what he’s going to keep doing.

            L deliberately turns his back to them, to _Light_ , as if even Kira himself is no longer considered a threat. “At ease, gentlemen. No need to draw your weapons on a little.”

            The room goes stock still at that. He sees the looks on their faces, the doubts passing through their eyes. _Light? A little? No. Impossible._

            Their shock, at least, offers Light some satisfaction. It tells him that he was able to put on airs well enough that his neutral status didn’t immediately raise suspicion. No, he wasn’t as obvious as L claimed him to be, that was just an exaggeration on L’s part.

            The tests are near impossible to cheat. No ordinary person would be able to skew their results…but a genius might. And a genius like Light—like _Kira_ —would be able to masquerade as a neutral so easily. Uneasy expressions wash of the task force’s faces. It’s all starting to make too much sense.

            L continues, undaunted. “Our second Kira, Miss Misa Amane, has been taken into temporary custody by a potential adoptee privy to the surrounding situation.”

            Light watches the shock register anew. One little under their nose is shocking, but _two_ is nearly unheard of. Light still can’t believe someone as incompetent as her was able to conquer her headspace so effectively. She had none of the side effects that he had to deal with, no weakened immune system or panic attacks.

            He wants it so badly to be Misa’s fault. He wishes she’d cracked in confession, broke down crying, something to out her as a little and take the suspicion off of him. But no. It was him. His stupid biology. His stupid need for a nap he finally couldn’t shrug off. That was all L needed to draw his conclusions.

            His father stares at him as if he doesn’t know who he’s seeing. Light tries not to cower.

            Matsuda breaks the silence. “How old is he?”

            “Hm?” L blinks, as if he hadn’t thought of that.

            Light makes sure to scowl extra hard as L looks him over.

            “Three.” L responds. “Four at the most.”

            Light hates that he’s right.

            Aizawa, who had not lowered his gun since L revealed Light was Kira, finally lets his weapon fall to his side. Even Mogi’s face softens.

            No longer do they see Kira, part god, part man, symbol of justice. Instead they see a petulant child, a pitiable little boy who hasn’t been tended to properly. He sees it strongest in his father’s eyes. He isn’t mad, not like Light thought he’d be. Instead, he’s taking it upon himself. With every strained breath, he’s asking himself what he did wrong to raise a killer.

            “So I suppose he’s under arrest?” Soichiro ventures.

            “Technically he’s already in police custody.” L points out.

            The silent question hangs in the air. How do they deal with this? When it comes to littles, the laws are murky at best. Sure, there are vague ideas, and rulings are decided on a case-by-case basis, but those are for victims. Wards of serial killers, scared kids committing self-defense.

            But for something like this? There’s no precedent, no code of ethics, no _clue_.

            His father’s eyes flash as he cycles through the possibilities. Execution is out of the question—for any criminal. But for his _son_ , a _little_. Life in prison is also too severe. Littles don’t take long to that level of solitary confinement. No, even for the worst of the worst, he refuses.

            But what did that leave him with?

            “I believe the best course of action would be to turn in the proper paperwork and give you direct custody. We’ll make a public announcement about Kira’s capture and say he’s been moved to a high security prison without revealing his face.”

            Light tamps down his relief. He could work with that. At the very least, he could loan the Death Note to someone else to continue his work. Or maybe he could throw a wrench in their system my relinquishing the note altogether. Yes, all he’d have to do is get Misa on board.

            “No.” Soichiro says, shocking them all. He can’t look Light—or anyone, for that matter—in the eyes as he speaks.

            L bites his thumb, waiting for Soichiro to continue.

            “I can’t do that to my wife, my daughter. If he were just a little, that’d be one thing, but to know that he’s _Kira_.” He shakes his head, like he’s fighting back his rationality and disgust. “We can’t. We clearly did something wrong the first time. I can’t allow this to happen a second time.”

            “Well, it’s ultimately your decision.” L says, but there’s something glittering in his eyes. An ulterior motive.

            “Light.” Soichiro finally tears his eyes away from the floor to look Light in the eye, and Light is stunned at how every part of him snaps to attention. Damn his biology. “I’m sorry.”

            “Chief…” Matsuda trails off, saying no more than that.

            “Now that _is_ quite the dilemma.” L muses. “There aren’t many other options.”

            The remaining possibilities swirl in Light’s mind. Prison, execution, group home. Any way you sliced it, Light would be losing every right, every freedom he’d fought for since he’d realized his classification at age thirteen.

            “I do have a proposal.” L finally says, breaking the silence.  “I’m not a registered caregiver, but Watari is. You and your wife permitting, I would be willing to sign the papers.”

            Soichiro narrows his eyes. “I’m sure you’re not doing this from the goodness of your heart.”

            “Of course not. That would just be silly. Light has proven himself as my equal, and I think to deprive him of his ability to work in the criminal justice field would be—well, rather a waste.”

            Light winces. He hadn’t thought about how his right to work would be jeopordized. Because of regressor labor laws, he would only be allowed a handful of careers. Criminal justice is out of the question, along with anything else remotely dangerous.

            “If you’d allow it, I’d rather neither Light’s classification nor his status of Kira be recorded,” L continues. “It would be easier for him to travel with me.”

            “Travel with you?” Soichiro echoes.

            “Of course. You would’ve believe how beneficial having a second opinion on everything has been for this investigation, and I can’t say I dislike Light’s company.

            “However Kira—or should I say, Light—kills, he either prefers to keep it private or cannot exercise his ability to kill in front of others. Therefore, if he remains tightly monitored, as the average three- to four-year-old should be, I see no way for him to continue killing as Kira.”

            Light twitches at the sound of that, his frustration boiling over into action. He can’t just sit here as people decide his fate for him. He’s running out of options, fast, but there’s no way he’s willing give up control completely.

            Light bolts up from his seat. It takes every ounce of self-control not to flinch, or freeze, or sob as some of the agents hastily pull their weapons on him.

            “Easy, gentlemen.” L says. There’s an edge of irritation in his voice, that Light doesn’t care to discern the meaning of.

            He’s already racing down the hallway. All he needs to do is find Misa. Everyone in that room must die, most of all L. He can’t risk getting his secret out. What he’ll do afterward, he’s not sure, as that suspicious of an exit will all but confirm that he’s Kira. But from there, it’s fine. He’ll go into hiding.

            He rounds a corner, colliding with another person.

            They hit the ground with a thud, and the air finally comes back into Light’s lungs. Misa. There’s still a way out.

            “Misa!” He offers his hands, pulling her up to her feet.  
            “Light!” She then ducks her head, her cheeks lighting up with a blush. “I’m not allowed to talk to you anymore.”

            His breath catches, but he tries to persist, even though it feels like the world is crumbling once again. He can feel control slipping through his fingers, even with Misa. He thought he’d secured her loyalty by confiding in her his status as a little, but even that seems miscalculated. Whoever this potential caregiver is, she’s more loyal to them than she is to him, if the nervous way she keeps glancing over her shoulder is any indication.

            Still, he doesn’t need her loyalty. Not anymore. It won’t do him any good. No, what he needs from her right now is a favor. “What are you doing here?”

            “I left my Pillow Pet upstairs.”

            He reaches out and grips her shoulders. She blushes at the touch, but says nothing. “Misa, you need to help me. L figured out my classification _and_ that I’m Kira. They’ll come by looking for me. You have to use your eyes and kill him. _Please._ ”

            Her eyes go watery. It takes her a moment to speak, so she simply shakes her head. “I’m sorry, Light. I can’t.”

            Horror fills him. No matter how brainwashed she is by this mystery caregiver, she’d always at least consider his request. “You don’t have the Death Note anymore.”

            She sadly shakes her head.

            “Misa?” a low, feminine voice calls. A woman Light doesn’t recognize rounds the corner. She’s tall, and stately, with long white hair. Intensity glows in her pale blue eyes.

            _Rem?_

            Her lips pull into a faint smile upon seeing him. The way she stares through him, you’d think she was privvy to every plan he had to kill her. “Why, hello, Light. Where’s your master plan now, hm?”

            He takes a shaky step back. “How are you here?”

            “Misa needed me,” she responds, as if that explains everything. Why she’s here, why she’s _human_ , and equipped with every piece of paperwork and certification necessary to adopt a little under criminal investigation.

            It’s so simple, yet startling all the same. Light wonders what she had to do for this new body, for this new life, knowing that no feat is too much for Rem, not when it comes to Misa.

            She wraps an arm around Misa’s shoulder, her gaze fierce yet protective. “Come along, Misa.”

            Instead of fighting her, instead of trying to _do something_ , Misa merely sinks into the hold and lets herself be led away.

            Light watches them go, all the while stamping down a feeling he’s sure isn’t jealousy.

            “How did she do that?” Light whispers.

            Ryuk chuckles over his shoulder. “She’s always full of surprises.” He laughs again, this time without humor. “Don’t expect me to do the same for you.”

            Light feels his chest puff in indignance. “Like I’d want you as a caregiver.” Though some part of him was hoping for that as an out, he’s already convinced himself he wouldn’t even want that to begin with. “I’m not out of ideas yet.”

            Would he make the eye deal now? Absolutely not. He doesn’t have L’s name, but he does have every other person’s on the task force. He pulls a pencil from his shirt pocket. He may not have much time, but he can at least do some sort of damage.

            Ryuk clears his throat. “Actually…” He presses closer, until he’s looming directly over Light, making him feel that much smaller. “Since the cat’s outta the bag, I no longer have plausible deniability.” His claws pinch the corners of the notebook, and he gently tugs it from Light’s hands. “Technically littles aren’t allowed to own Death Notes, but it’s harder to enforce than with children.”

            This is the first time Light is hearing about this.

            “But, hey, it’s better than your name ending up in my Death Note, huh?”

            “You can’t do this.” It feels like he’s drowning. He keeps trying desperately to pull in air that won’t come. “You can’t do this to me!” He swings his fist, as if to beat against Ryuk’s chest, but his fist phases through Ryuk’s body.

            “It’s been fun, kid.”

            “You can’t do this to me!” Light repeats. He’s well into the threshold of tantrum mode. “You can’t just take it away from me! It’s _mine_.”

            He dives for the Death Note, but Ryuk holds it up and out of his reach, causing him to phase through Ryuk’s body and topple to the ground.

            By the time Ryuk has disappeared, Light has collapsed into full-blown sobs.

            It’s like a dam. Once the tears stop flowing, he can’t stop them. He’s crying, sobbing, wailing about how the world isn’t fair and how he wants his mom.

            These are the thoughts that persist in his mind as every last memory of the Death Note dissolves, leaving him with feelings of frustration, helplessness, and despair.

            In some way, it’s a blessing, giving him less evidence to incriminate himself with, but at the same time, it’s just one more piece of control that has been unceremoniously stripped from him.

            When his mind clears, he realizes he’s not alone.

            “Found him!” Someone calls. Matsuda. “You were right, L!”

            He couldn’t look more uncomfortable if he tried. It’s like half of him wants to offer comfort while the other half doesn’t want to let Light get that close.

            “Hey, there.”

            It’s now that Light remembers he was suspected of being Kira—that he _was_ Kira, and he feels even more defeated. “I wanna go home,” he croaks.

            Matsuda inches forward. “It’s…okay,” he says haltingly. “Um, deep breaths?”

            Unable to voice his discomfort any other way, Light whimpers and wraps his arms around his head.

            “Did you get that out of your system?” L asks. He sounds almost disinterested as he saunters over, hands in his pockets.

            Light gives a small, slight nod. He remembers with a growing amount of shame that he L knows his classification. Even worse, that he was _Kira._ How was he Kira? He doesn’t remember that either. He doesn’t remember killing anyone, but for L to seem so sure of it, he has to be right.

            If he wasn’t on such unsteady footing, he’d be able to respond. Instead, he sniffles loudly and wipes at his eyes.

            L turns back to Matsuda, nods, and Matsuda makes a hasty exit. “Shall we go back to the sitting room, then? If you behave, there may be a slice of cake in it for you.”

            L extends his hand, and Light realizes a beat later that he intends L to take it.

            “When you earn trust, I’ll give it to you. But seeing as you just attempted to flee the building, I’d feel better if you took my hand for the time being.”

            Light doesn’t argue, doesn’t want to. Why was he even out here in the first place? He doesn’t remember why he’d run in the first place.

            And if he’s being honest, the feeling of L’s hand in his is rather comforting.

            The room is empty. Even his father is gone.

            “Where’s the rest of the task force?” Light asks.

            “So he speaks.” L jokes. “I sent them away. As far as this is concerned, it is between you and me. Understood?”

            Light nods.

            “Wonderful. So here’s the plan. We will not be registering you as a little.”

            “Really?”

            L waves his concerns away and makes a beeline for the cake on the center table. “It’s too much paperwork, too much hassle. And not ideal for what I’m hoping to accomplish.” He pauses after cutting the first slice. “So would you be willing to be under Watari’s and my care in exchange for working alongside me?”

            Light nods, but he doubts it matters. It’s not like he has any other choice, considering he was Kira.

            L recognizes that as well, and keeps on talking. “You’ll be living with me, primarily, but Watari will also be around most of the time. Now, obviously you won’t have the freedom to come and go like most littles, but I wouldn’t want your living with me to be restrictive. But at the same time, I want to keep you from killing as Kira.” His eyes cut to Light. “How _were_ you able to do that with just a face and name?”

            “I don’t remember.”

            The intensity in L’s eyes fades, as if Light has just passed some unseen test. “I can see that.” L leans in. “Whatever powers Kira has, it seems like they can be transferred from one person to the next. Therefore, if Kira resurfaces, you would need to have a solid alibi. After all, solitary confinement is no fun for anyone.”

            Light nods along, silently agreeing. He’d do anything, anything to keep from being locked up in one tiny room for weeks on end.

            L returns to the couch, offering Light a piece of cake. Just like he promised.

            “I’m inexperienced with little care, but I’m not unwilling to learn.” Tentatively, he reaches out and wraps an arm around Light’s shoulders.

            With a contented sigh, Light leans into the touch.

**Author's Note:**

> mcschnuggles.tumblr.com


End file.
